Murder case readied in Capiz senior citizen killing

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — Police are preparing a murder complaint against the person behind the fatal shooting of a senior citizen on May 4, 2026, at Sitio Ilawod, Barangay Alasaging, Maayon, Capiz.

Police said they have identified a person of interest in the killing of George Bating Bengan, 64, of the same village.

An investigation by the Maayon Municipal Police Station showed that Bengan was loading bamboo into his tricycle with his nephew when an unidentified suspect arrived on a motorcycle.

Police said the suspect shot Bengan several times with a .45-caliber firearm, hitting him in different parts of the body.

The suspect fled in an unknown direction after the shooting.

Police Capt. Danilo F. Lauron, Maayon police chief, said investigators were looking into a land dispute based on a previous barangay record that remained unsettled.

He said village officials had recommended the matter to the Department of Agrarian Reform for possible settlement.

“We have gathered information that the suspect is a professional hitman because the two of the relatives of the victim were spared from the attack”, the police chief said.

Based on the testimony of a minor companion, the suspect was alone on a Bajaj motorcycle and was wearing a helmet when he arrived in the area.

Without saying a word, the suspect pulled out an unidentified firearm and shot Bengan several times before fleeing toward Barangay Dulunan.

The Maayon police and the Maayon Emergency Response Team responded and brought Bengan to Bailan District Hospital in Pontevedra town.

Bengan was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

A team from the Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered three empty shells from a .45-caliber firearm at the crime scene.

Police are continuing their investigation, while a manhunt for the suspect is ongoing.